Winterstale said:
...I'm still blown away by the OP's friends who were "spending a week at sailing school" and then planning to sail their newly-purchased 42 foot catamaran around the world...wow....
If you want to read a long actual example of that kind of trip by new sailors:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DT...MSMS#nav-subnavAnd their well written and illustrated blog:
http://www.bumfuzzle.com/septemberoctober-2003/